The sun god is currently so cornered that he has to ask for help from souls on their way to heaven.
But can a temple lacking in believers really have much money?
Of course not. It's so poor that it's barely surviving on donations from Kyris.
And yet, the reason Ordel's bedroom is so lavish is because she eagerly squandered those donations.
"It was even a scene in the novel, but I'd forgotten about it."
I was so taken aback when I first saw the dressing room.
Not only were there all sorts of dresses in every style, but they were all extravagant and luxurious.
Let's give up on finding slush funds.
She blew all the money on luxury—there's no way she'd have hidden any away.
That leaves only one option.
"Sell them."
Let's sell all the decorations, dresses, jewelry, and anything else in the room that might be worth something.
I don't need any of it anymore now that I'm leaving the temple anyway.
And I should probably give at least some of the money back to the temple... right?
"It's not even my money, so no need to be sentimental about it."
I lightly wiped away the tears that had begun to fall.
That means I need someone to handle all this for me, since I don't really know the value of the items...
But who should I entrust it to?
There's no one at the temple who was close to Ordel, who was known for her cruelty and extravagance.
I can't ask Eirik either—it would be hard to secretly skim off any funds if I go through him.
No choice. I'll just have to start by listing the items I can liquidate.
If I don't want to get ripped off in this world, I'll need to know at least the approximate market value of each item.
Hours passed without going outside, just organizing the list.
The sound of a knock on the door finally brought me back to my senses.
Before I knew it, the paper in my hand was completely filled.
"Saintess, I've brought your dinner."
"Come in."
"…"
"…?"
Why isn't he coming in?
Just as I was wondering if I should go open the door myself, someone finally stepped inside.
It was a handsome man with curly red hair and beautiful water-colored eyes.
One look and you could tell—he's definitely not an extra.
There's only one person with that kind of appearance in the sun god's temple.
Dietrich Warren. A devoted aide who would do anything for High Priest Eirik, and an indispensable senior priest of the temple.
"Is there anything else you need?"
Oops, maybe I was staring too much. Dietrich hates Ordel.
Though, to be fair, there isn't a single person in this place who likes Ordel.
"No, nothing."
I set aside the list I'd been organizing and sat down at the table.
The meal was nearly identical to the one Eirik had brought for lunch.
But why is Dietrich still standing next to me instead of leaving?
What's worse, he's staring right at me—it's seriously uncomfortable.
"Do you have something to say…?"
"I'm simply waiting to clear your dishes after you're done. You don't need to worry."
It's a little hard not to worry when you're staring at me like that...
I forced myself to pretend he wasn't there and took a big bite of bread.
"But Saintess, may I ask… why are you suddenly speaking so formally?"
I almost bit my tongue instead of the bread!
Come to think of it, the ill-tempered Ordel used to talk down to everyone.
Even to High Priest Eirik.
Eirik let it slide without question, but here's Dietrich, asking about it so directly.
"…Wait, isn't this actually a pretty good opportunity?"
It's no exaggeration to say Dietrich hates Ordel the most out of everyone in the Sun God's temple.
Considering how she constantly belittled and ignored the high priest he's so loyal to, it's no surprise.
He even openly showed his dislike for her, despite believing she was the real Saintess.
If it's someone like Dietrich, wouldn't he be glad to hear that I'm planning to leave the temple?
He might even help persuade Eirik on my behalf.
"I've had a bit of a change of heart recently."
"…A change?"
"Yes. I've been immature and disrespectful to you, Priest. I'm truly sorry."
I stood up, placed my hands together politely, and bowed my head to Dietrich.
"Excuse me, wh-what did you just say?"
Oh, he's flustered. Completely taken aback.
Well, even Eirik was surprised—there's no way Dietrich wouldn't be too.
"I don't think I'm fit to be a Saintess. So I'm planning to step down and leave everything behind soon."
Dietrich's face froze at my sudden declaration, clearly taken off guard.
"The title of Saintess is not something one can just take up and cast aside at will!"
"Then is it okay if I continue living here like this?"
"That's…!"
He can't even force himself to say he wants me to stay.
Wow, he really does hate Ordel.
"Of course, I'm not saying I'll leave right this moment. I plan to repay the damage I've done to the temple as best I can before I go."
"Haa… Repay?"
"Yes. I'd like to apologize to everyone I've hurt—everyone who's suffered emotionally because of me."
Dietrich's face became even more clouded with confusion.
But I was being completely sincere. Not a single ounce of falsehood.
"And one more thing."
I handed him the list I'd spent all afternoon compiling.
"This is a list of everything I own. I'd like you to sell all of it and convert it into cash."
Dietrich's eyes were about to pop out of his head as he looked at the long list.
He looked utterly dazed, as if he'd been hit in the back of the head multiple times.
"I feel I've used temple funds far too selfishly, so I'd like to return it."
"No, I mean, this is…"
"Ah! Except this one, of course."
I pointed to the dress at the very top of the list.
It was a dress that looked like it would fetch quite a bit of money if sold.
"I bought this one with allowance money I saved up little by little from my family. I'd like to have the money from selling this returned to me."
Of course, that was a lie. How could I possibly know what money Ordel used to buy it?
But if Dietrich handed all the funds over to Eirik, I'd be walking out of the temple completely penniless.
My conscience pricked me, but I had to bluff my way into securing some slush funds.
Hopefully, Dietrich doesn't know where the dress actually came from.
"Also, I'd like you to tell me exactly how much each item was sold for. And if possible, please compare that amount to the temple's operating expenses. I want to reflect on how carelessly I've been spending money."
In truth, it was to get a sense of the market and pricing here.
"Well then, I'll be counting on you."
I gently smiled as I pressed the list back into Dietrich's trembling hands.
If this went smoothly, I'd be able to leave the temple with some slush money and without a shred of guilt!
But at the time, I had no idea—
That within a single day, my entire plan would be turned upside down...
Dietrich left Ordel's room with a dazed expression.
But instead of walking away, he stood frozen in place for a long time.
What on earth just happened?
Did I really just have a conversation with Ordel?
"Now I understand why the High Priest suddenly told me to keep an eye on the Saintess…"
He must've sensed it too—something was off about her.
No, not just "off." This was far beyond that.
When she handed over the list, Dietrich even wondered if her mind had finally snapped due to some severe illness.
Looking down at the list with a complicated expression, he eventually turned and made his way to Eirik's quarters to report.
"She said she wants to sell everything listed here…"
Eirik stared at the list with troubled eyes.
He had just returned from the prayer room, where he'd spent a long time in penance, tormented by the guilt of having installed a false Saintess. But now, the report Dietrich brought him only deepened the turmoil in his heart.
"And she wants to return the money from the sales to the temple…"
In truth, most of the items Ordel possessed had been bought with temple funds.
She always insisted it was rightfully hers, since it came from the Kyris family's donations.
Having a Saintess in the temple—even a fake one—made such a difference that they'd taken the risk despite knowing the truth. But for the first time, Eirik found himself questioning that decision.
And now she was saying she'd repent and return it all.
What on earth is going through her mind?
"Ah, she did say there's one item she doesn't want to return.""She claims she bought it with allowance money from her family and would like to keep the proceeds from that one."
Dietrich pointed to the very first item on the list.
Eirik's eyes widened the moment he saw it.